Improved furnace for melting and refining steel



Patented Bec. 29, 1868z Tf-Enma,

muy

Nv PETERS. Pholwlil'cgmphen Washington. D. C.

UNITED 'rArEs PArnNrOFFIG-Eg Lors THOMA, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

' |v|PIROVgDEjFbRNACE FoR MELT'ING ANDREFINING srl-:nggj

Specication forming part of Letters Patent N0. 85,410, dated December 29, 1868.

To all whom it may concern: Beit known that I, ALoIs THOMA, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Furnace for Smelting and Renin g Steel; andl do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,iforming part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improved steel-smeltin g furnace, the plane of section being indicated by the line az, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, taken on the plane of the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is avertical transverse section of the same, taken on the plane of theline z z, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical transverse section of the same, taken on the plane of the line fr x', Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to a new furnace for smelting steel and iron and for producing all kinds of cast-steel and other metal.

The invention consists, rst, in the construction of a new apparatus for feeding the material to be smelted into the furnace; second,'in a new manner of arranging and operating the receptacle for the steel or iron. This recepta-v cle is one solid open pan, which forms thebottom of the smelting-oven, and which is, by means of vertical screws, supported and up and down adj ustable. A

The whole furnace consists actually of two parts, that may be united in one or separately put up. One of these parts is the feeding ap# paratus and gasgenerator A, the other the smeltin g-furnace B.

The form of the feeding apparatus and gasgenerator A is varied according to the kind of fuel employed. That shown in the drawing is intended for bituminous, anthracite, or brown coal.

The gas-generator is built up of good iirebrick, and contains a grate, a, an ash-box, b, a door, c, for removing the ashes, another door, d, for cleaning and repairing the grate-plates, and a blast-pipe, e, for conducting the air necessary for combustion to the iire.

Above the grate is a chamber, f, in which the gas is generated, and from which it is, through a chamber, g, conducted into the oven B. The feeding apparatus is arranged above the furnace above described in an inclined channel, h, extending upward from the cham'- ber f, as shown in Fig. 1. Y The uppermost part of the said chamber h is formed vertical, and is, by means of a plate, z', separated from the inclined part of the channel to form a feed-chamber, j. The plate fi rests' on a shoulder, k, formed in the masonry of the channel h, or by a metal plate embedded therein, as shown, and is pivoted to a rod, L, by means of which it can ybe moved in or out at will. The rod l passes through astufngfbox, fm, to prevent the esi cape of gases. l V K The fuel is placed into the chamber j, so that it rests on the slide i, and when, then, the said slide is drawn out by pulling the rodl the whole charge is at once dropped upon the grate.'V When the plate i is drawn out it is carried into a narrow space, a, provided in the brickwork. It would, during this motion, often carry small particles of coal or fuel back with it," and its motion would thereby be considerably retarded. To prevent this, I have provided a4 chamber, o, under the space a. The coalcarf ried out with the slide i falls into this chamv ber a, and leaves the supports of t' clear of ob-v structions. tis a door, through which the contents of the chamber o can be removed. l The ,upperpartof the fuel-chamber j is sur-J rounded by an annular or continuous trough, p, which is filled with sand, water, or other suitable matter. The cover q has a downward projecting iian ge, which, when the cover is closed down, as in Fig. 4, ts into the sand or water, so as to prevent all escape of gases. I

The coal discharged when the slide iis drawn out will fall upon the inclined plate r, which forms the bottom of the channel h, and slides down thereon, so as to be evenly spread on the grate. V

S S are openings through the sides of the channel It, for aiding the downward motion of the coal or fuel by means of stirrers inserted through them.

The hearth of the oven B is formed by a pan,

G, which is made of one single piece of fireclay, or other suitable material, and which is set into a metallic pan, D, as shown.

An opening is left in the bottom of the oven for the reception of the pan C, and sand packing u is fitted all around and under the pan.

The metal pan containing the smelting-pan C is on a truck or car, E, carried under the oven, and is then, by means of screws u fu, that are held in tubular posts fw, and adj usted by means of nuts x, raised up until its llange y strikes against a metal plate, z, formed on the structure, as shown. Sand packing is also interposed between the ange y and the plate z to efectually prevent the overflowing of the liquid metal.

The pans C and D are of circular or other suitable shape, and do, when adjusted, form` the bottom of the oven, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The truck E for conveying the pan is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The screws 'v form the support of the pan C as long as it can be used. It' it is burned out, it is lowered and replaced by a new one.

a is the arched cover of the oven. b' is a channel through which the flame and gases are conducted into a chamber, F, whence they escape into the chimney G.

The chimney may be provided with a damper to regulate the draft.

Through the chamber F is carried, in zigzag or other form, a pipe, H, which serves to conduct a blast of air to the flame in the oven. This air is heated by the gases as they pass into the chimney.

The pipe H is conducted to the front end of the oven, into a box, I, whence the air passes through a narrow inclined channel, c', into the channel g. The air is blown with great force through the pipe H to drive the llame over the contents ofthe pan and to aid combustion.

In the sides of the oven are doors d d', through which the pan can be filled and emptied. A spout, e', extends from the pan C through or under one of these doors to let the smelted steel run out into a suitable receptacle, J.

The construction of the pipe H may be varied. If desired, it can be made in form of the gases are burning and the oven incandescent. The contents of the pan are then covered with powdered Window-glass, neutral slacks,

or any other matter by which the steel is protected from the chemical influence of the flame.

The steel when molten can be mixed with suitable ingredients to make it of the requisite quality, and is then tapped. I can also conduct liquid pig-iron into the pan if it is produced in the vicinity of the furnace.

To produce cast-steel from the liquid pigiron, I add suitable ores and other ingredients to the same, whereby the desired result is produced. I can also melt other metals besides iron and steel in this furnacefor example, bell-metal of different kinds, &c.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. Smelting steel and other metals in an open pan, C, which is made of one piece, substantially vas herein shown and described.

2. The oven B, when provided with an upand-down adjustable and removable bottom, which is made in form of a pan, C, to contain the metal to be smelted, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The pan C, when arranged of one piece, and in combination with the supporting-pan D and screws fv c, all arranged and operatingl substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The chamber o, arranged on the feeding apparatus to leave the same clear of obstructions, substantially as herein shown and dcscribed.

5. The application of the inclined plane r on the feeding apparatus, to facilitate the distribution of fuel, as specified.

6. The combination of the slide t' with the cover q and endless trough p, all arranged to form a feeding apparatus for the fuel, as set forth.

ALOIS THOMA.

'Witnesses FRANK BLoeKLEY, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

